A South Korean Muslim YouTuber sparked controversy when he revealed plans to buy a plot of land in Yeongjongdo Island, Incheon, to build a mosque. However, the plan was scrapped after the land purchase and sale contract was canceled.
According to the local real estate industry on Apr. 20., Daud Kim, a Muslim YouTuber with 5.52 million subscribers, agreed to cancel the land contract with the owner without receiving any compensation for the down payment.
“He indeed decided to terminate the contract,” said a real estate industry insider, “but it is difficult to say further details as it is personal information.”
Earlier, Daud Kim announced on his YouTube channel’s community page on Mar. 13 that he had signed a land contract for the mosque construction project, intending to establish a prayer center for missions and an Islamic podcast studio.
Then he showed the contract for the property stating that he had agreed to purchase 284.4㎡ of land in Unbuk-dong, Yeongjong-do, Jung-gu, Incheon for 189.2 million won (about $137,200) and paid a down payment of 20 million won.
When the news broke, local residents protested, expressing worries about the proximity of schools just a kilometer from the site. In response, the YouTuber gave a press interview in which he claimed that the proposed mosque was remote and small enough that it would not cause any harm to local residents.
However, the backlash against the YouTuber intensified when his previous sexual offenses surfaced. In 2019, he faced accusations of attempting to assault a foreign woman sexually. In a video statement, he explained that the court considered mitigating factors, including his apology and the woman’s request for no punishment, and granted deferred prosecution.
Despite the presence of approximately 200 mosques in South Korea, there have been instances of opposition to mosque construction. For example, Muslim international students from Kyungpook National University in Daegu endeavored to construct a sizable mosque in Daehyeon-dong, Buk-gu. However, its completion has faced a four-year delay owing to vigorous protests from residents.
